Excavating apparatus.



No. 766,956. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. J. LENNON. EXUAVATING APPARATUS.

PATBNTBD AUG. 9, 1904.

J. LENNUN. EXGAVATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

E 3 nu F, 7,

PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904.

J. LENNON. EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIOH FILED SEPT. 21, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

Patented August 9, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN LENNON. 'OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION' forming' part of Letters Patent No. 766,956, dated August 9, 1904.

Application filed September Z1, 1903. Serial No. 173,920. (No model.)

To ILM ZIJ/1,0m it muy concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN LENNoN, a citizen of Great Britain, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minne lsota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavating Apparatus; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ot' the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has 'for its object to provide an improved excavating apparatus; and to lthis end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompan ying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a plan view illustratingthe apparatus. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing the apparatus illustrated in Fig. l. Fig'. 3 isa transverse vertical section on the line :1:3 .fc3 of Fig'.

2. Fig. 4 is a View corres )ondin' to Fi. 2

but illustrating a somewhat modilied construction; and Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the line ai of Fig. L

It may be here stated that this apparatus is especially intended for excavating railwaycuts and for rapidly carrying1 away the dirt from side hills or einbankments located on or adjacent to the right of way or road-bed.

The character .a indicates the embankment the same in all of the views, being' shown in section. The numeral l indicates the rails of the main track, and in Figs. l to 3, inclusive, the numeral 2 indicates the rails of a transversely-extended track or branch. Where the two tracks cross each other, the rails are notched or separated at 3 to permit the free passage of the iianges of the truck or car wheels.

Mounted to run on the main track 1 is a truck or car t oi' ordinary or any suitable construction, the said car having Hat top or supporting-body. Mounted to run on the track 2 is a truck made up of wheels 5, axles 6, and dropped or downwardly-bowed side trames 7. The side frames 7 near their ends,

but inward or' the truck-wheels, are provided with pronged bearings 8, in the crotches of which are mounted rock-shafts 9 and liftingbars l0. rlhe rock-shafts E) are provided with eccentrics 11, upon which rest the ends of the lifting-bars l0. The ends of the rock-shafts 9 are squared or made angular, as shown at 12 in Fig. 3, for the application thereto of a crank-lever 13.

The numeral 14C indicates a box-like body, which is 'formed much like a wagon-box and is preferably provided on its botten with restlugsul, which are adapted to rest upon the upper edges of lifting-bars l0 when the box is turned downward onto the same, as shown in Fig. Q. In said Fig. 2 the receiving-truck, which moves on the transverse track, is shown in two dii'lierent positions by iull lines; but it should be understood that but a single truck is employed and that it is inoved from one position to the other, as will be hereinaftermore fully described. p

As the lirst step in the process oi' loading' the car the face of the embankment is grooved vertically and undercut with a pick, so that the box 14 when turned in a vertical position may be applied to the bank and completely Alilled with dirt, as shown in Figs. l and 2. Then by driving' stakes e vertically into the bank just inward of the iilled box a load of dirt may be broken oill from the bank, and this being done the loaded box will drop onto the lifting-bars 10 of the transversely movable or receiving' truck. Any suitable device may be employed for preventing the box, with its load oi' dirt, from dropping too suddenly or with too much force onto the receiving-truck. The truck, and its load of dirt contained in the box 14, is then moved outward. as shown at the right in Fig'. 2, and is positioned so that the depressed portions of the side bars 7 will stand below the upper portions of the main rails l, in which position the main-line truck i may be run in under the loaded box 14C, as shown at the right in said Fig. 2. The gaps 3 in the rails l permit the depressed portions of the side bars 7 of the receiving-truck to pass through the said rails. As is evident,

.when the rock-shafts 9 are turned so as to throw the ecentrics l1 upward they will raise the lifting-bars 10, and in this way theloaded boX 14 is raised high enough to permit the' main-line truck 4 to be run in under the said boX. Then by giving the said rock-shaft 9 a half-rotation, thereby throwing the eccentrics ll downward, the loaded box may be lowered onto the platform of the truck 4 and may be then carried by the said truck oli from the transversely-movable receiving-truck. The said receiving-truck is then ready to be retourned into position to receive another loaded It will of course be understood that a great many transversely-extended rails 2 may be applied side by side, so as to deliver the receiving-truck at diierent points along the line, or instead of a large number of transverse rails 2 provision may be made for` shifting the one pair of track-rails 2 laterally. Furthermore, the rails 2 will in practice be made up of short sections, so that they may be lengthened out from time to time as the embankment is cut away.

' The receiving-truck illustrated in Figs. 4 and is quite similar to that above described, but is designed for use in connection with a transmitting truck, which is mounted for movements on track-rails that run parallel with the track-'rails on which runs said re` ceiving-truck. The rear axle 6u of this modiiied receiving-truck is bowed upward, and the wheels of the said receiving-truck are spaced far apart, so as to permit the transmitting'- truck 4 to be run under the loaded boX carried by the said receiving-truck. In Figs. 4

and the said transmitting-truck, which is indicated only by dotted lines, is mounted to run on the inner track -rails l, while the wheels of the receiving-truck are mounted to run over outer rails 2u.

The truck designed as shown in Figs 4 and 5 is especially adapted for making the rst cut through the embankment, so that the main-line rails may be laid.

It will of course be understood Ithat the apparatus illustrated in the drawings is capable of modication within the scope of my invention as herein set forth and claimed.

I/Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

l. An excavating apparatus comprising a receiving-truck and a transmitting-truck, said receiving-truck having means for supporting' a load, and having its truck-frame constructed to permit said transmitting-truck to be run completely through the same, below the load, supported thereby, substantially as described.

2. The combination with intersecting rails having' gaps or s paces at their intersections, of a receiving-truck movable on one pair of rails, and a transmitting-truck movable on the other pair of rails, said receiving-truck having depressed side bars which extend below the rails and pass through the gaps at the intersections of the rails,the said depressed side bars beingof sucient length to permit the transmittingtruck to be run transversely across the receiving-truck, and in under the load carried by said receiving-truck, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the line-rails l and branch rails 2 having gaps 3 at their intersections, of the transmitting-truck movable on the rails l, the receiving-truck movable on the rails 2, the said receiving-truck having the depressed side bars 7, adapted to pass through the rail-gaps 3, and the lifting-bars l() operated by eccentrics to lift the load, the said parts operating substantially as described.

In testimony whereot` I aliix my signature in Vpresence of two witnesses.

JOHN LENNON. Witnesses:

ELIZABETH H. KELIHER, F. D. MERCHANT. 

